One Man's Freedom Fighter Is Another Man's Terrorist
Your Mission:
You have just been handed a copy of a press release from the FBI. Included in this document is the bureau's latest summary of the threats to the United States national security. As advisors to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI), it is your team's job to analyze all aspects of terrorism, both at home and abroad, and to provide concise summations in the form of threat assessments. You and your team must determine where and when the next wave of terror might strike and who the guilty parties might be. Most of what you do today and in the future will be known only to yourselves, but the impact of that work will last for generations by securing the safety of our country and its citizens. It is with great excitement that we await your report. The committee thanks you for your hard work and dedication.
The Task:
You and your advisors are to determine the extent of the threat to the United States from terrorism, both domestically and internationally. In order to fully research and prepare a proper report, you need to answer these questions:
1. Identify the groups most strongly linked to terrorism activities here in the U.S. and abroad.
2. Be able to identify the goals and objectives of each group as a means of providing the committee with as much pertinent information as possible.
3. Be able to explain why the U.S. has been the target of so much terrorism both domestically and internationally.
4. Examine and explain the impact religion has on spawning terrorist organizations.
The Process:
In order to make the best use of your time, it is the committee's recommendation that you divide the research into two categories: International Terrorism and Domestic Terrorism. Be sure to relate all research to the idea of threatassessment, basing your summations on what you perceive to be the major threats. Utilize your time in this way:
1. Identify and list five terrorist groups from each category, International and Domestic.
2. Determine the goals and objectives of each group as they relate to its activity (i.e., why they do what they do).
3. Prepare your findings in both written and oral forms. Because the committee's time is limited, you and your team need to be prepared to speak before the SSCI and provide the necessary information so it can prepare policy.
5. The written form of your presentation will be in the form of a website. Each group listed on the right will use the page created as their home page. Then, each member of the group will create at least one web page of information, pictures, etc., that is linked to from the home page (in other words, your home page will have links to each person's page in your group).
Learning Advice:
Remember to stay focused on the task at hand. When doing your research on the Internet, you must authenticate your sources. As the title suggests, many terrorists are perceived as heroes for the work they do. Propaganda is often distributed as truth, when in reality it is a truth built on opinion, not fact. To ensure that your information is truth-based, stay with sites related to the government of the United States or those similarly aligned.
Evaluation:
You and your team will be evaluated on the quality and authenticity of your research. As you report on your findings, you will be assessed on your recommendations and the skill in which you deliver them. To receive an "excellent" rating, you must clearly define the terrorist aspects of each group and why you consider them a threat to the U.S. Your writing and oral presentation must be clearly written and persuasive. In addition, your web page design needs to be creative and attractive.
Conclusion:
Answer these questions as a supplement to your evaluation:
1. Does the threat of terrorism for the United States lie mostly within or outside our borders?
2. Based on your research, do the groups you listed as terrorists have any legitimate arguments to support their activities and beliefs?
3. Do you think that the fact that you are a citizen of the United States shades the way you perceive a terrorist's activities and beliefs?
You have just been handed a copy of a press release from the FBI. Included in this document is the bureau's latest summary of the threats to the United States national security. As advisors to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI), it is your team's job to analyze all aspects of terrorism, both at home and abroad, and to provide concise summations in the form of threat assessments. You and your team must determine where and when the next wave of terror might strike and who the guilty parties might be. Most of what you do today and in the future will be known only to yourselves, but the impact of that work will last for generations by securing the safety of our country and its citizens. It is with great excitement that we await your report. The committee thanks you for your hard work and dedication.
The Task:
You and your advisors are to determine the extent of the threat to the United States from terrorism, both domestically and internationally. In order to fully research and prepare a proper report, you need to answer these questions:
1. Identify the groups most strongly linked to terrorism activities here in the U.S. and abroad.
2. Be able to identify the goals and objectives of each group as a means of providing the committee with as much pertinent information as possible.
3. Be able to explain why the U.S. has been the target of so much terrorism both domestically and internationally.
4. Examine and explain the impact religion has on spawning terrorist organizations.
The Process:
In order to make the best use of your time, it is the committee's recommendation that you divide the research into two categories: International Terrorism and Domestic Terrorism. Be sure to relate all research to the idea of threat assessment, basing your summations on what you perceive to be the major threats. Utilize your time in this way:
1. Identify and list five terrorist groups from each category, International and Domestic.
2. Determine the goals and objectives of each group as they relate to its activity (i.e., why they do what they do).
3. Prepare your findings in both written and oral forms. Because the committee's time is limited, you and your team need to be prepared to speak before the SSCI and provide the necessary information so it can prepare policy.
5. The written form of your presentation will be in the form of a website. Each group listed on the right will use the page created as their home page. Then, each member of the group will create at least one web page of information, pictures, etc., that is linked to from the home page (in other words, your home page will have links to each person's page in your group).
Resources:
The Terrorism Research Center
FBI
GHHS Website > Media Center > Online Databases > Global Issues in Context > Type Terrorism in search box.
Learning Advice:
Remember to stay focused on the task at hand. When doing your research on the Internet, you must authenticate your sources. As the title suggests, many terrorists are perceived as heroes for the work they do. Propaganda is often distributed as truth, when in reality it is a truth built on opinion, not fact. To ensure that your information is truth-based, stay with sites related to the government of the United States or those similarly aligned.
Evaluation:
You and your team will be evaluated on the quality and authenticity of your research. As you report on your findings, you will be assessed on your recommendations and the skill in which you deliver them. To receive an "excellent" rating, you must clearly define the terrorist aspects of each group and why you consider them a threat to the U.S. Your writing and oral presentation must be clearly written and persuasive. In addition, your web page design needs to be creative and attractive.
Conclusion:
Answer these questions as a supplement to your evaluation:
1. Does the threat of terrorism for the United States lie mostly within or outside our borders?
2. Based on your research, do the groups you listed as terrorists have any legitimate arguments to support their activities and beliefs?
3. Do you think that the fact that you are a citizen of the United States shades the way you perceive a terrorist's activities and beliefs?